Vajpayee reviews security situation in J&K

The overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir valley was on Thursday reviewed at a high-level meeting at the Unified Command Headquarters in Srinagar under tight security.

For the first time, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee presided over the important meeting.

The meeting was also attended by Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes, state Chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister of State for Home Affair I D Swami, Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah, state Deputy Home Minister Khalid Najeeb, two corps commanders, Border Security Force chief and senior police and military officials.

Vajpayee was briefed about the security situation in the state and the counter-insurgency operations by senior army and paramilitary officials.

Security forces had completely sealed the roads leading to the Centaur hotel, on the banks of Dal Lake, where the meeting was held.

Meanwhile, life in the Kashmir valley was crippled for the third day running in view of the general strike called by the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference against the killing of Abdul Gani
Lone.

All shops, business establishments, banks, educational institutions and government offices were closed.